Bon Jovi

Bon Jovi is an American rock band from Sayreville, New Jersey. Formed in 1983, Bon Jovi consists of lead singer and namesake Jon Bon Jovi (born John Francis Bongiovi, Jr.), pianist and keyboard player David Bryan, and drummer Tico Torres. The band's lineup has remained mostly static during its history, with the only exceptions being the 1994 dismissal of bass player Alec John Such, who was unofficially replaced by Hugh McDonald, and the departure of longtime guitarist and co-songwriter Richie Sambora in 2013. In 1986, Bon Jovi achieved widespread global recognition with their third album, Slippery When Wet. The band's fourth album, New Jersey was equally successful in 1988. After touring and recording non-stop during the late 1980s, the band went on hiatus following the New Jersey Tour in 1990, during which time Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora both released successful solo albums. In 1992, the band returned with the album Keep the Faith. Their 2000 single "It's My Life", which followed a second hiatus, successfully introduced the band to a younger audience. Bon Jovi have been known to use different styles in their music, which has included country for their 2007 album Lost Highway. On March 12, 2013, Bon Jovi released their 12th studio album, What About Now.

Bon Jovi (album)

Bon Jovi is the debut studio album of American rock band Bon Jovi, released on January 21, 1984. Produced by Tony Bongiovi and Lance Quinn, it is significant for being the only Bon Jovi album on which a song ("She Don't Know Me") appears that was neither written nor co-written by members of the band. The album charted at No. 43 on the U.S. Billboard 200.

Aside from hit single "Runaway", songs from the album were rarely performed live after the band released their breakthrough album Slippery When Wet in 1986. However, on the band's 2010 Circle Tour, songs including "Roulette", "Shot Through The Heart" and "Get Ready" were performed. The song "Shot Through the Heart" should not be confused with the much more well-known "You Give Love a Bad Name", an unrelated song from Slippery When Wet.

The album was ranked the 11th best rock album of 1984 by Kerrang! magazine.

Background

In 1980, Jon Bon Jovi started to work at Power Station Studios, a Manhattan recording facility where his cousin, Tony Bongiovi, was a co-owner. Jon made several demos and sent them out to many record companies, but failed to make an impact.